Dozens of voters who lost their belongings and voters’ cards to the 2012 flood in Anambra-East Local Council Area narrowly escaped being excluded from the state governorship election on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
While names and photographs of the people appeared at polling units 006 and 007 in Ezi-Agulu and St. Jude Church, Aguleri, the polling clerks had declined to clear them for participation.
It took the intervention of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Christopher Idigo, who alerted the Supervisory Presiding Officer, Miss Chinenye Okonkwo, who also summoned all the polling agents of the governorship candidates, before they could exercise their franchise.
The party agents agreed that many voters in the area would be disenfranchised by the flood, if not allowed to vote. They concluded that those whose names and pictures appeared should be identified and allowed to vote.
NAN also gathered that many prospective voters allegedly disenfranchised themselves in the election by registering more than once.
Some electorate, who lamented their missing names on the voter register, protested to the presiding officer to no avail.
However, one Mrs. Patricia Obi admitted registering twice at Ilo-Abito polling unit and Ofianta polling unit 004 at separate times.
Another voter, whose name was also missing, Mrs. Chibogu Amakom, said she registered once and was able to vote in the 2011 general elections. She wondered why her name was missing on the register.
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